MUCH was written about smoking guns during the run up to the Iraq war.

MUCH was written about smoking guns during the run up to the Iraq war. The Allies were, and still are, piling resources into trying to prove Saddam Hussein had the capability to deploy weapons of mass destruction. Their efforts have so far been fruitless.

Now its Tony Blair who appears to many to be dodging a very different smoking gun - one that could show whether the Government misled the world.

Mr Blair insists he acted in good faith in going to war but public perception is far from convinced.

Yesterday's revelations from former senior Ministerial colleague Robin Cook that, in his view, the Prime Minister knew Iraq was incapable of using WMDs within 45 minutes add further damaging testimony to the Government.

While Mr Cook's claims are not entirely new and hardly conclusive, they provide further weight to the impression Downing Street was far from straight with the public or Parliament in attempting to secure backing for military action.

The drip, drip affect is seriously harming the Government's credibility and, but for the weakness of the opposition, the damage could already have been proving terminal.

Ironically, for a Prime Minister who has been accused of being obsessed with his place in history, it may well be time that ultimately reveals the truth of what the Government did and did not know.

The unarguable fact is Saddam was a vile dictator capable of the most heinous crimes against his own population and neighbouring states.

Unfotunately for Mr Blair, it appears his hand was shown long ago; he has provided all the evidence he can to back his pre-war assertions, and now it simply remains for others to chip away at the Government's claims. Alas, in this make-or-break fight for political survival it may well be the truth that falls by the wayside.

COMONSENSE has prevailed after a well-meaning council grandee was landed with a compensation bill for doing the right thing. Public-spirited councillor Harry Allday was appalled, like so many people, by graffiti in the tourist town.

He sent out some of his staff to clean it up but was landed with a &#xA3;50 bill for damages when the paint used ended up on someone's clothing.

The council should be applauded for stepping in and agreeing to settle using the Mayor's fund. It would have sent out all the wrong signals if Mr Allday had been personally punished for acting in a way which, if others followed, would make our society a far better place to live in.